NYC Braces for More Asylum Seekers as Federal Rule Expires

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said his city is bracing for another influx of buses carrying thousands of migrants from the U.S. border with Mexico, as a Trump-era health edict is set to expire this week.

The rule, known as Title 42, allows federal officials to prevent asylum seekers from entering the country during public health emergencies. The Trump administration invoked the rule during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

But with the pandemic waning, the Biden administration is poised to let the rule expire on Wednesday.

A federal appeals court on Friday cleared the way for the lifting of Title 42, unless further court action authorizes a delay.

It could produce a new surge of migrants entering the country from the southern border, further inflaming the national debate over immigration.

“With the expiration of Title 42 just days away, we need the federal government — both in the administration and in Congress — to share their plans to move asylum seekers to other cities, to allow asylum seekers to work, and to send aid to the cities that have borne the brunt of this crisis,” Adams said in a statement Sunday.

The city says it has absorbed more than 31,000 asylum seekers, putting further stress on emergency shelters.

“We have been told in no uncertain terms that, beginning today, we should expect an influx of buses coming from the border and that more than 1,000 additional asylum seekers will arrive in New York City every week,” Adams said.

He did not disclose the source that information.

As Thanksgiving approaches, many are focusing on how to best prepare a feast for family and friends. But some New Yorkers are struggling to feed their own children. NBC New York’s Melissa Russo reports.

While Adams said his city is ready to provide humanitarian aid to asylum seekers, he urged the state and federal officials to do more.

“Our requests for assistance have been mostly ignored,” he said. “And while the New York federal delegation has repeatedly advocated for funding to be sent back to New York City, many in Congress — both Republicans and Democrats — have refused to lift a finger.”

A coalition of Republican states, including Texas, want Title 42 to remain in place.

Since April, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has bused thousands of migrants to New York and Washington. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, another Republican, followed suit soon after.